God and Goggles by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 17:1-15

Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.      Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 17:8

I own a pair of protective goggles and use them faithfully. I wear them when I’m cutting branches with my chainsaw or attacking weeds with my weed whacker. My goggles serve a crucial purpose: they protect my eyes. Once, I forgot to wear my goggles while sawing a branch and ended up with a spec of wood in my eye. I had to make an emergency trip to the eye doctor. From then on, I became more careful about wearing goggles because my eyes are precious to me.

Psalm 17:8 doesn’t mention goggles explicitly. But this verse does reflect an understanding of the value of eyes and the need for their careful protection. The NIV translates the first part of this verse: “Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.” The original Hebrew speaks of guarding “the little one of the daughter of the eye.” Traditional English translations use “the apple of the eye” (KJV). These peculiar expressions, in both Hebrew and English, refer to the pupil of the eye, that which is essential for vision and in most need of protection.

In context, David is praying for protection from his enemies (17:7), from the “wicked people who attack” him (17:9). “They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart,” he laments. So he asks the Lord to guard him as people guard their own eyes and to hide him like a mother bird hides her hatchlings under her wings (17:8).

Notice what is implied in the way David asks for protection. He knows that people are vigilant in guarding their eyes because they value their eyesight so much. By implication, David believes that God values him exceedingly. The mother bird guards her chicks because she feels a deep, instinctive care for them. Similarly, David assumes that God cares for him in this way. He bases this assumption, not only on his experience of God’s love, but also on the revelation of God’s love for his people (see Deut 32:10-12). David’s belief that he matters so much to God isn’t wishful thinking, but rather a conviction based on how God has made himself known to David.

When we model our prayers on Psalm 17, we remember that Jesus taught in word and deed that we are inestimably valuable to God (Luke 12:7, for example). Most of all, in his death, Jesus revealed and embodied God’s love for us. Thus, we can have confidence that God treasures us, even as we treasure our own eyes. God will be, we might almost say, our heavenly goggles.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you believe that you are precious to God, even as your eyes are precious to you? If you really believed this, how might it impact the way you feel, think, and live?

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank you for the implicit truth in Psalm 17:8. Thank you for how much you value me, even as I value my own eyesight. Thank you for the ways you protect me, as a mother bird shelters her young under her wings.

Help me, dear Lord, to live today as if I were of inestimable worth to you. May I have confidence in your presence and protection. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/god-and-goggles

Where Have You Fixed Your Attention? by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 16:1-11

I know the LORD is always with me.      I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

Psalm 16:8

Psalm 16 begins with a cry for divine help: “Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge” (16:1). Yet the bulk of the Psalm does not focus on that from which the psalmist needs refuge, that which threatens to shake him. Rather, Psalm 16 celebrates God’s help in difficult times, his presence that keeps us safe and gladdens our hearts.

Verse 8 reads: “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” In fact, the Hebrew of this verse affirms God’s presence, but suggests that the psalmist has chosen to fix his attention here, rather than on his problems. A more literal translation of the first part of verse 8 would read, “I have set the LORD before me continually.” Thus the NRSV translates, “I keep the LORD always before me,” while the NIV suggests, “I keep my eyes always on the LORD.” The Message puts it this way: “Day and night I’ll stick with God.” So, though the fact that God is always with the psalm writer provides a foundation for verse 8, the language of the verse indicates that he has chosen to pay close attention to this truth.

From Jesus, we have received the promise of his continual presence: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). So there is never a question of whether the Lord is with us or not. But there is a question about whether we fix our attention on this wonderful reality or not. How easy it is for us to live as if God is distant. How easily we focus our minds on our problems and challenges, forgetting to keep the Lord before our eyes.

When we choose to live in light of the truth of God’s persistent presence, then we will be reassured. Like the psalmist, we will “not be shaken” by the inevitable disappointments and detours of life. We will stand firm in the midst of opposition and suffering. We will find the strength to press on in service to God as we live for his kingdom in this world.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How aware are you of God’s presence today? Have you chosen to set the Lord before you continually? Will you remember him when life gets hard? What helps you to know that God is right beside you?

PRAYER: O Lord, as I read Psalm 16, I find myself wishing that I could set you before me more faithfully. It is so easy for me to focus my attention on all sorts of other things. When life isn’t going as I wish, I can become preoccupied with my frustrations and fears. How different it would be if I chose to fix my attention on you?

When I do this, I don’t neglect other things. I don’t forget about my work or stop caring about those around me. In fact, the more I keep you in focus, the more I am empowered to work faithfully and to love generously. Knowing that you are with me gives me confidence to live boldly for you and your kingdom.

Thank you, dear Lord, for being with me always. And thank you for helping me to attend to your presence. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/where-have-you-fixed-your-attention-0

What To Do When Things Keep On Getting Worse by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 12:1-8

Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing!      The faithful have vanished from the earth!

Psalm 12:1

Psalm 12 begins with a dire description of a culture on the road to ruin: “[T]he godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!” (12:1). In particular, the psalmist sees neighbors lying to each other and violence done to the helpless (12:2, 5). “[T]he wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land” (12:8). The bonds that hold society together are being severed as people lose the ability to determine right from wrong.

Sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself listening to the evening news, thinking that the godly are disappearing and the faithful have vanished from the earth? I know I have. For me, the worst of all is when people I trust go bad. I don’t expect much from those who traffic in violence and crime. I don’t even look to celebrities and athletes to be exemplars of morality. But when trusted leaders are found to have done terrible things, especially when those leaders are pastors or priests, I sometimes feel despair saturating my soul.

When things seem to keep on getting worse, many people throw up their hands in defeat. They figure they cannot make a difference in the world, so they choose to live for themselves and their momentary pleasures. Others sink into a pit of cynicism and negativity. Still others find the moral resolve to try and fight back, to stand for goodness in the face of mounting evil.

Scripture is clear that God‘s people should be found in this last group, those who try to make a positive difference. But Psalm 12:1 reminds us that our starting point should not be ourselves. When we see life crumbling around us, our first response should be to cry out to God: “Help, O Lord!” The Hebrew word translated in verse 1 as “help” is, in fact, hoshi’a, the first part of the Hebrew expression we know as hosanna. Hoshi’a can also be translated as “save.” It’s a cry for God’s assistance, a recognition that God alone can save us from the mess we’re in.

After we turn to the Lord and seek his help, he may very well call us to participate in his work of making things right again. But instead of relying on our own strength, and instead of exhausting ourselves trying to right every wrong, we will respond to God’s call to focus on a particular need. Moreover, we will seek to address this need, to make right what is wrong, by the power of God at work within us through the Spirit.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Can you relate to Psalm 12:1? When do you feel despair about the state of the world? What do you do with your despair? Has God called you to be part of his right-making effort in the world? If so, to what area of need has he directed you?

PRAYER: Gracious God, I can easily relate to the desperation and despair of Psalm 12:1. It does seem sometimes as if the godly are disappearing and the faithful have vanished. So much in our culture seems to be heading toward ruination rather than restoration. So, with the psalmist, I cry out to you: “Help, O Lord! Save us!”

Please protect me, Lord, from a defeatism that sets me free to pursue my own selfish gain. Keep me from cynicism that can sound so wise even as it excuses me from making a difference for good in the world. Help me not to rely on myself and my own efforts, as if I had either the calling or the ability to change the world.

Rather, may I cry out to you for help, again and again. May I rely upon you and your strength. As you guide me, may I be faithful in all things. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, your righteousness, your justice. Help me to be a person of truth and compassion, for your glory. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/what-do-when-things-keep-getting-worse-0

Why Does God Love Justice? by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 11:1-7

For the righteous LORD loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.

Psalm 11:7

In yesterday’s reflection on Psalm 10, we saw that God “bring[s] justice to the orphans and the oppressed” (10:18). This picture of the Lord is consistent with what we find throughout the Scriptures.

Psalm 11 further explains God’s relationship to justice. Verse 7 reads, “For the righteous LORD loves justice.” Our translation obscures an intentional play on words in the original Hebrew. It might be translated more literally, “For the just LORD loves justice” or “For the righteous LORD loves righteous deeds.” The Hebrew uses the adjective tzaddiq in reference to the Lord and the plural noun tzedaqot to depict that which he loves. Even without knowing Hebrew, you can see the close relationship between these two words, which are based on the tz-d-q root.

In English, we often make a distinction between righteousness and justice. Righteousness has to do more with personal morality, with acting rightly according to some standard. Justice is a matter of legality or societal structures. In Hebrew, however, the words based on the tz-d-q root embrace both personal morality and legal/social relationships. Thus, God as tzaddiq is both righteous and just. And God loves both personal righteousness and societal justice.

Why? Why is God a lover of righteousness and justice? Because these realities reflect God’s own nature. When we do what is right, we are not just acting properly, but also mirroring God’s own nature. The same is true when we seek justice in our relationships and in our world.

Doing what God loves is surely a sufficient motivation for us as we live our lives in this world. Whether in the workplace or in the civic square, whether among our neighbors or in our families, we want to do the things that God loves. But verse 7 adds a further motivation for such behavior: “The virtuous will see his face.” When we live in a way that pleases God, we will see God more clearly. Our hearts and minds will be attuned to the Lord so that we might be attuned to his presence both within and around us.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you truly desire to do that which God loves? What increases this desire? What conflicts with this desire? How might you live today as a reflection of God’s own righteousness and justice?

PRAYER: God of righteousness and justice, may I love what you love. May I desire what you desire. May I seek what you seek. May I live in such a way that you love my deeds and my relationships.

Help me, I pray, to consider you as I live my life today. Even when I’m doing that which tends to be called “secular,” may I do it for your delight and glory.

Gracious God, may I see your face. May I know you more truly. May I continuously grow in my relationship with you. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/why-does-god-love-justice

The Making of Man

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’.” — Genesis 1:26

The Torah portion for this week, B’reisheet, is from Genesis 1:1—6:8 and Isaiah 42:5—43:10.

Bible critics have a field day with the 26^th verse of the first chapter in Genesis:  “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind …’” Who is “us” ? Who is God speaking to? Can it be that there is more than one God?

The Ba’al Shem Tov, a Hassidic master in the 18^th century, offers the following explanation:  Who is God speaking to when He creates man? God is speaking to man himself.

Imagine if you will, God turning to the soul of man and telling him about this great opportunity to take on a physical body and enter into a material world. Then, God continues, man will become something extraordinary — even greater than angels. He will become the first person of the human race.

Now, everyone knows that the first man’s name was Adam. But do you know how he got that name?

Adam has two meanings. The name can mean “earth,” like the Hebrew word adamah. Adam was made from earth. But it can also mean “similar,” like the Hebrew word adameh. Adam was intended to be similar to God. God and Adam had a joint mission — to take the material earth and turn it into something spiritual and God-like. God would start the process, but Adam would have to finish it. Together, they would create the amazing creature called “man.”

Human beings are created unfinished, so to speak. Together, with the help of God, we have the opportunity to become the greatest of God’s creations. Or, heaven forbid, we can turn ourselves into something that is lower than a bug. The choice is ours. God has given us a magnificent opportunity to have a part in the creation and direction of our lives. It’s up to us to create godly lives and become closer to Him.

Try this:  Design your ideal self. Every building needs a blueprint, and every person needs one too. What would a blueprint of your life look like for you?

Describe the person that you want to become. Then make an action plan. What kinds of things do you need to do in order to become your ideal self? What kinds of tools will help you reach your goal? Are there people who can help you? Advice you can seek?

Like any great masterpiece, we are works in progress that will take a lot of time to finish. But with patience and persistence we can accomplish a little more every single day.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/the-making-of-man

Those Who Know Your Name Trust in You by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 9:1-20

Those who know your name trust in you,      for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

Psalm 9:10

When my wife became pregnant with our second child, she and I were overjoyed. We had hoped and prayed for another baby and were thrilled to know one was on the way. When we learned that our baby was a girl, we started thinking of a name for her. We decided upon Kara (pronounced CARE-uh), not only because we liked the sound of that name, but also because it was an Anglicized version of the Greek word meaning “joy.” We felt great joy over the pending birth of our little girl and wanted our joy to be captured by her name.

We never realized, however, just how perfect this name would be. Even when she was a baby, Kara rejoiced in life. She is still one of the most enthusiastic, fun, and, indeed, joyful people I know. It’s almost as if her name summarizes the essence of her existence. If you know that “Kara” means joy, and you know my daughter’s name is Kara, then you know her.

In a similar but far more profound way, God‘s name represents God’s own nature. God first revealed his name to Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:14-15). God calls himself “I AM WHO I AM” or, more simply, “I AM.” This name is related in Hebrew to the name Yahweh (which was once rendered Jehovah and which is usually translated in English Bibles as LORD). The name of God captures God’s unique, self-determining identity. Moreover, in the context of Exodus 3, the name of God conveys his saving love and grace. This is made explicit in Exodus 34:6, where God explains the meaning of his name this way: “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”

In light of Exodus, we can better understand the sense of Psalm 9:10: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD [Yahweh], do not abandon those who search for you.” If we know God’s name, we know that God is compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Thus, we trust in God as he has made himself known through his name.

As Christians, we trust in God as he has revealed himself through Jesus. The name “Jesus,” an English rendering of the Hebrew Yehoshua or Joshua, combines the divine name with the Hebrew word for salvation (Yahweh + hoshea). Thus, “Jesus” means “Yahweh is salvation.” This name beautifully represents his saving work. Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection that which his name signifies. When we know the true meaning of his name, when we know that he is the Savior, we put our trust in him and live each day centered in him.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Can you think of a person (either real or fictional) whose name captures the essence of that person’s character? How have you experienced God’s grace, mercy, and love? How is your life different today because you trust in the LORD?

PRAYER: Thank you, LORD, for revealing to us, not just your name, but also the meaning of your name. Thank you for the way your name embodies your compassion and mercy, your love and grace. Thank you for the embodiment of your name in Jesus, our Savior.

Help me, dear LORD, to know you more truly, more deeply, more intimately. As I come to know you more, may I trust you more and more and more. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/those-who-know-your-name-trust-you?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHighCallingDailyReflections+%28Daily+Reflection+%26+Prayer%29

Would You Pass a Kidney Test? by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 7:1-17

End the evil of those who are wicked,      and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart,      O righteous God.

Psalm 7:9

My friend Tom was born with defective kidneys. Thus, on a fairly regular basis, he has to go in for a kidney test. The doctors want to see if his kidneys are functioning well enough for Tom to continue on without invasive medical treatment. So far, so good. But, when it’s time for his kidney test, Tom is understandably nervous.

How about you? Are you nervous about your kidney test? Now, before you email me to say that you aren’t having such a medical procedure, let me hasten to say that I’m not thinking of the sort of thing Tom has to endure periodically. Rather, I’m translating our passage in an overly literal way. We read, “For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God” (7:9). But the Hebrew actually refers to the Lord in this verse as “the tester of hearts and kidneys.” The word translated as “hearts” refers to the inner life of a person, especially the faculties of thought and will. The word translated as “kidneys” can refer to the literal organs inside a mammal. But it can also designate the deepest part of a person, the seat of emotions and moral choice.

By saying that God tests hearts and kidneys, the psalmist is revealing that nothing is hidden from the Lord. He knows everything about us, every thought, every feeling, every hope, every fear. He knows all the good stuff and all the bad stuff.

Apart from grace, this would be a scary thought, indeed. We might be able to hide our corruption from people, but not from God. In truth, the holy, just God of the universe knows all there is to know about you. You cannot hide from God. Yet, you do not have to, because God is gracious toward you. He seeks relationship with you. God forgives and renews. He is not just the tester of our “kidneys,” but also the healer. Through Christ, God is in the process of restoring everything about you. What good news!

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How do you respond to the thought of God being the tester of your inner being? Have you asked him to heal the deep wounds and to forgive the deep sins of your “heart and kidneys”?

PRAYER: Merciful God, the thought that you test the deepest parts of me would not be a happy one, apart from the gospel. Through Christ, you not only examine everything about me, but you forgive that which is evil and mend that which is broken. Thank you, dear Lord, for your tenderness and kindness. Thank you for the confident hope I have in you. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/would-you-pass-kidney-test

Available Now!

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the late 1940s, contain the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). For decades, the scrolls have been carefully guarded and their use often restricted to a small group of scholars. In an effort to preserve the ancient fragments while broadening access to them, the Israel Antiquities Authority, in partnership with Google, is making high-resolution images of the 2,000-year-old scrolls available to everyone online.

That’s good news for scholars and curious students alike. It’s also a reminder of the great treasure we currently possess in the Bible itself. Throughout Psalm 119, the writer celebrates the eternal nature and life-changing wisdom of God’s Word. At the heart of today’s passage, the writer declares, “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life” (v.93).

Many of us have had a Bible almost all our lives, yet how much time do we spend in reading and studying it? How deeply do we think about the meaning of familiar passages?

Why not make Bible reading a priority each day? Ask God to guide, teach, and strengthen you through His written Word. This amazing resource is accessible to all and available now.

Thank You, Lord, for the Bible, Your Word to us. Give us wisdom as we read and study it. Make us sensitive to Your voice and give us hearts to obey. Amen.

God speaks through His Word—take time to listen.

http://odb.org/2012/09/23/available-now/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

The Secret of the Shofar

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,     who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.” — Psalm 89:15

My friend Jonathan had been pulled over by the police for talking on the phone and driving at the same time. The officer immediately started his diatribe, scolding Jonathan and explaining to him that he had earned himself a sizeable fine and points on his license. Jonathan’s wife tried making excuses. The officer seemed to anticipate an argument and only got louder and stronger.

Finally, Jonathan said something that stopped the officer mid-sentence.  He said, “You are right. Hand me the ticket.” The officer’s mouth hung open as if he had suddenly forgotten how to talk. He obviously didn’t hear that too often!

Jonathan continued saying how wrong and dangerous it was to talk and drive at the same time and even thanked the officer for calling him on it. It was a lesson that he needed to learn. The officer walked away for a moment and when he came back, his demeanor had totally changed. He handed back Jonathan’s license and registration with a smile and a kind warning – but no ticket.

Tradition teaches that when we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, God our King, who is sitting on His throne of judgment, gets up and takes the seat of compassion. With just one piercing sound, the day is transformed from a day of stern judgment into a day of merciful compassion. Why?

These days, at the start of a trial, the judge bangs his gavel in order to bring the court to order. But in the olden days, a Jewish trial began with the sounding of the shofar. So when we blow the shofar, it is as though we are willingly starting our trial. We initiate the judgment. It is as if we are saying to God, “Hand me the ticket – give me my penalty! I know that I am guilty.”

We recognize that we have done things wrong and we accept our verdict, acknowledging that it is for our own good. In response, God switches His mode from judgment to compassion.

The psalmist writes:  “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you . . .” The Hebrew for “to acclaim you” in this verse is “teruah.” And as you may recall, teruah is also the name of the nine-note shofar blast. So our sages interpret this verse to mean:  “Blessed are those who know the secret of the shofar blast.” The secret of the shofar blast is that it unleashes God’s mercy.

Tradition teaches, “When there is judgment below, there is no need for judgment above.” In other words, when we are able to take responsibility for our shortcomings on our own, God doesn’t have to correct our behavior for us. Instead, He helps us out with love and mercy.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/the-secret-of-the-shofar

Where Are You?

Hebrew Word

Netiyah

(Proclivity)

Hear translation

“Say to the Israelites:  ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of Sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts’.” — Leviticus 23:24

Most people familiar with the Jewish New Year will tell you that it commemorates the creation of the world. And they would be vaguely correct. But more specifically, the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, on which we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, correlates with the sixth day of creation. On that day, God completed the creation of the world with his final act: the creation of man.

A lot happened on man’s first day of life. Not only did he meet his spouse, he also had his first run-in with God when he and his new wife ate from the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve try to hide from God when they realize what they have done, but nothing is hidden from the Almighty.

And what does God say to them in the garden? “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). But God already knows the answer. His questions really is, “Where are you spiritually?” In other words – somewhere in between the time that I created you and now, you veered off the path of righteousness. Take a look at where you are and find your way back.

Repentance in Hebrew is teshuvah, but the word has other meanings as well. Teshuvah means “to return,” and it also means “answer.” This is because our answer to God’s question “Where are you?” is to return to the path of righteousness. This is repentance, and repentance is a central theme of Rosh Hashanah.

Ever since the first Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year has become a time of deep introspection. We get the chance to evolve the creation called man. From all of God’s creations, humans are the only ones who have the ability to reflect on their lives and do something about it. And when we do take those steps to make our world a better place, we raise humanity up to a higher level.

That’s why we celebrate the New Year, not with parties that leave us in a drunken stupor so that we can forget who we are; rather, we celebrate with introspection that leaves us knowing more than ever who we are.

Where am I? Who am I? What needs to change? These are the questions that we need to ask as the New Year begins and we chart our course for what is to come.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/where-are-you-3